Man sent to prison for 2015 meat cleaver attack

CLINTON — A Clinton man already incarcerated for credit card fraud has been ordered to serve a prison term for an assault charge.

Steve Armsted, 47, appeared Thursday in Clinton County District Court for sentencing for willful injury causing serious injury, a Class C felony. Armsted was also sentenced for using a dangerous weapon in the commission of a forcible felony. Armsted was found guilty by jury of the charge in June.

Clinton County Attorney Mike Wolf asked the court to impose incarceration not to exceed 10 years on the willful injury charge. He asked that the sentence be ordered to run consecutively to the sentence Armsted is serving for credit card fraud. Defense attorney David Zimmerman cited the time frame since the offense, which is approximately two years, and asked the court to order the sentence in this case and the credit card fraud sentence to run concurrently.

District Court Judge Mark Lawson ordered Armsted to serve a sentence of incarceration not to exceed 10 years with a minimum sentence of five years due to the dangerous weapon enhancement, per Iowa Code. A $1,000 fine was suspended. Lawson ordered the sentence to run concurrently to the sentence imposed in the credit card fraud case. Lawson cited the violence of the offense and Armsted's lengthy criminal history as reasons for the sentence. Lawson did not order Armsted to repay attorney fees.

According to the affidavit, at 2:05 a.m. March 2, 2015, officers were dispatched in reference to a serious assault. Officers arrived at the house and observed a large amount of blood outside the house. They entered the house and met a male sitting on the couch and holding a towel on his face. The male had a large laceration on his left cheek.

The affidavit states the male told officers he was at Shell Express, 401 Second Ave. South, when a black male, driving a silver Cadillac, stopped at Shell and approached two males. One male said the black male asked him for money. Both individuals told him they did not have any money to give him. One male stated the black male became upset. The black male and one male exchanged words. The two males got in the vehicle and left the parking lot.

The affidavit continues one male stated as he drove home he noticed the same Cadillac behind his vehicle. The male told officers once he got home he exited the vehicle and noticed the same black male approaching the vehicle. The two males went into the house and argued with the black male. One male told officers he began to fight with the black male. The black male pulled out a meat cleaver during the fight and swung one time, striking the male in the face.

The black male then got back into his Cadillac and left the area. An officer developed Armsted as a suspect. Armsted was interviewed on the night in reference to the assault but denied any involvement. Armsted was released as officers waited for video from Shell Express. An officer collected the video from Shell express on March 3, 2015. The video was not shown to the victim at this time. The victim did not come in to follow up on this assault.

The affidavit states on March 24, during an investigation into another case involving Armsted, an officer learned Armsted told a female friend he had cut another person several years ago. The female stated during this interview that Armsted told her he was never charged because the victim was too drunk. The officer reviewed the video from Shell Express and noticed Armsted drive up in his Cadillac and approach two males in the parking lot. The two males left the parking lot. Armsted got in his Cadillac and followed them out of the parking lot.

The affidavit states an officer met with the victim on May 5 to talk with him about the case. The victim stated he remembered the case but did not know the name of the black male who cut his face. The officer let the victim view the Shell video. The victim told the officer the black male in the video at Shell is the same individual who cut his face and was driving the Cadillac. The victim again stated he did not know the black male but they are the same person. The victim stated he would like to have the individual charged because of the permanent scar to his face. The victim stated at the time he was airlifted to Iowa City and had 177 stitches for his injuries.

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